In the State of Tennessee, DUI is a serious crime. It requires jail time, loss of license, payment of fines, and can have lasting impacts on your life. If you have been arrested for DUI, your first decision needs to be speaking to an experienced DUI Lawyer. Below you will find specific details about DUI cases, investigations, and what to expect in Court.
DUI DEFENSE
Arrested for DUI. Now What?
If you have been arrested for DUI, you need to call an experienced DUI Lawyer, like Attorney Oscar A Butler at Butler Law, LLC. During that call, you can expect Oscar to go over the details of your case from the beginning to end.
First, you will discuss some contextual information about what occurred before you were arrested - Were you drinking? Had you used any drugs? How were you feeling?
Second, you will discuss the “3 Phases” of your DUI Investigation and how these may impact your case. At Butler Law, we understand that defending a DUI case requires leverage, so the specific details of your case are important. Each phase has different facts that may allow for defenses to a DUI conviction. Any fact can be significant in the totality of the circumstances of the interaction, so it’s important that you are completely open and honest during the call.
Finally, you can expect to discuss some personal information about you and your background. This just allows for us to represent you better as our focus immediately will be separating you from the alleged facts from the officer and the rest of the drivers who have been arrested for DUI.
BOND CONDITIONS
When you have been arrested for DUI, you may have certain bond conditions to obey while the case is pending.
Common Bond Conditions:
Upon being released from jail, required to report to pretrial within 72 hours of your release.
Pretrial is a supervising entity that may monitor you while the case is pending. You could also be required to report to a pretrial or probation officer consistently during the case.
Could be required to install and keep an ignition interlock device (breathalyzer) in any vehicle you’re driving.
Alcohol & Drug Assessment
Alcohol and Drug Screens
Court Appearances and Possible Resolutions
Your first court date is coming up. What can you expect?
Arraignment
The first court date you will have is called the Arraignment. On that day, the Judge will make sure you are aware of the charges against you, and that you understand you have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford an attorney, the Court can appoint one for you.
At Butler Law, we will normally try to waive your arraignment date so that you’re not required to be in Court. We routinely waive this date because we will discuss with you your charges and once we are retained to be your attorney, there is no need to have the Court tell you that you have the right to to an attorney.
This court date is usually very quick and is more about scheduling the next court date.
Other Court Dates and Possible Resolutions
After your arraignment date, the next couple of court dates are usually “Status” dates. On these court dates Attorney Oscar Butler will be discussing and negotiating your case with the Attorney for the State of Tennessee. We will be discussing whether all the evidence has been gathered, whether there are legal issues or personal components that provide leverage, and ultimately possible resolutions. The State will normally make an offer to resolve your case short of having to have a preliminary hearing or jury trial.
At Butler Law, we fight to get you the best result possible. At the end of the day, the decision to accept any offer from the State is yours. Our job is get the best negotiated resolution, bring that offer to you, and assist you in making an informed decision.
There are many possible resolutions in a DUI case:
Dismissal
Reduction to Reckless Driving
Reduction to Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment
Enhancement to Felony Reckless Endangerment on a Judicial Diversion
DUI Conviction
While we cannot guarantee a specific result, our success comes from years of experience and training handling DUI Cases in both General Sessions and Criminal Court. Do not wait any longer, call Butler Law now to get started on your case!
Payment Plans Available
At Butler Law, we understand that legal representation is a financial investment. We provide interest free payment plan options to help with the investment. We want to work with you, and we don’t want finances to get in the way.
Referral Network
If Butler Law can’t handle your case or request, our referral network is full of law firms who may be able to assist. Contact us today so we can get you in contact with the Attorney best suited to handle your case.
Free Consultation
Reach out today for a completely free consultation. You can call, email us, or fill out this online inquiry. Once you have submitted the requested information, we will contact you to schedule a time to discuss your legal needs. We look forward to hearing from you soon!